The 110-megawatt (MW) power plant of Khulna Power Station (KPS) at Goalpara was shut down at about 11:00am yesterday due to technical glitch. The shutdown of the power plant resulted in severe power outage in 21 districts of Khulna and Barisal divisions and greater Faridpur. KPS control room said only 375 MW of electricity could be supplied yesterday against a demand of above 600 MW in the south-western region. The outdated 110-MW power plant, which goes out of order often due to technical glitch, can no longer be relied on for uninterrupted power supply, said Superintendent Engineer Abul Kalam Azad. "It has gone out of order 21 times since 2007,' he added. Besides, the 60-MW power plant, which is undergoing overhauling works, has remained out of order since July 5, 2006. The authorities concerned could not tell when the overhauling works, which began in 2005 at a cost of Tk 70 crore, would be completed. Moreover, two barge-mounted power plants (BMPP) at Goalpara, each having a capacity of 28 MW of electricity, became inoperative since 2007. Severe power outages have affected economic activities and normal life in the region. Production in jute mills as well as other industries is being disrupted due to severe power outage, said Zonal Coordinator of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) Abu Taher.